Relay.



H. S. LOOMIS.

RELAY.

APPLICATIQN FILED JULY 23,191]- 1,286,364. Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

AS 1565 l WITNESSES B mm @z W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD S. LOOMIS, 0F WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH & SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVALE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

RELAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application filed July 23, 1917. Serial No. 182,156.

To all whom it may concern:

Be itknown that I, HAROLD S. LooMIs, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVilkinsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Relays, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to relays, and particularly to relays adapted for use in railwa signaling.

will describe one form of relay embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

The accompanying drawing is a view showing diagrammatically one form of relay embodying my invention and also showing one manner of employing the relay to control a light signal.

Referring to the drawing, my improved form of relay is designated generally at L, and as here shown, comprises a pivotally mounted main shaft M, Which may be rocked by any suitable means. As here shown, this shaft carries a vane V of electro-conductive material which coacts with suitable means such as shoWn in Letters Patent No. 838,404, granted M. R. Hanna, whereby the shaftmay be rocked in either-direction. Located above the shaft M is a countershaft M for controlling contact fingers g and y, cooperating respectively with fixed contact blocks 4 g and 3 This countcrshaft M is operatively connected to the main shaft M for movement therewith, by means of a link 15 and arms 16 and 17 formed on the shafts M and M respectively, such link connecting said arms in the manner shown. M is a second counter shaft for controlling a contact finger 1- which cotiperatcs with a fixed contact block 7, such shaft being opcratively connected to the main shaft by means of a pair of links 18 and 19. The upper ends ofthe links are pivotally connected to an arm 20 carried by the countershaft M while the lower ends of the links are formed with I slots 18. and 19 respectively, for slidably receiving. pins 21 and 22 formed on the opposite ends of a bar 23. This bar 23 is fixed at its medial portion to the main shaft M for rocking movement therewith.

As shown in the drawing, the vane V is biased to an intermediate position by virtue of the-combined weights of the pawl 24 and bar 20 beingequally distributed upon opposite sides of the shaft M by means of the links 18 and 19. With vane V in the intermediate position contacts gg and y-y are open, while contact rr is closed, as shown in the drawing. lVhen the vane V is moved downwardly from the intermediate position to the position indicated in dot-anddash lines, main shaft M is rocked in clockwise direction, thereby elevating arm 16, link 15, and arm 17 to swing countershaft M in clockwise direction, thus closing contactz 3 With this downward movement of vane V, the left-hand end of bar 23 is lifted, thus causing pin 21 to engage the upper end of slot 18 and lift link 18. Arm 20 is thus raised. causing partial rotation of countershaft M in a clockwise direction to open contact rr. Vhen the vane V is moved upwardly from the intermediate porection, whereby arm 16 is swung downwardly to partially rotate, countershaft M in counter-clockwise direction. thereby, closing contact gg. During upward movement of vane V the righthand' end of bar 23 is raised, thus causing pin 22 to lift link 19 and thereby open contact r-r, as when the vane was moved to its lower position. By reason of the pin and slot connections between bar 23 and the links 18 .and 19, movement of either link by its pin is not restricted by the other link and pin.

From the foregoing it will be evident that, with only the apparatus as thus far described, when vane V is moved from the upper extreme position to the lower extreme position or vice versa to reverse contacts ;7g and g 1 contact 9 -1 would be momentarily closed. This momentary closure of contact r-r is undesirable in some instances, as for example. when the relay is employed to control a light signal. In order to maintain contact rr open during such reversal of the contacts, I provide a retarding device F, which, as here shown, comprises a pawl 24:, pivoted to the free end of the arm. 20, and which is adapted to coact with a ratchet wheel IV fixed to a shaft M Also fixed to the shaft M is a solid wheel D having considerable inertia.

The operation of the retarding device F taken in conjunction with the relay is as follows: Assume that vane V has been moved to the lower position so that contact g/y' is closed and contacts rr and gg' are open. Such movement of the vane elevates arm 20 as has been described, thus causing pawl 24: to be lifted into active engagement with the ratchet wheel W so that the pawl will drive the ratchet wheel when arm 20 again descends. Now assume that the vane is moved continuously from the lower position to the upper position to cause a. reversal ofcontacts 'g g and gj-g. During this reversal, shaft M attempts to return to its normal position wherein contact r-r is closed, but in so doing it must rotate wheel D. The inertia of this wheel is such that during the reversal of the'vane, shaft M does not return far enough to close contact r, and, consequently, a momentary closure of this contact is prevented. In the samemanner, momentary closure of contact 7' is prevented when the'vane moves continuously from its upper to its lower extreme position.

Inthe present instance I have shown relay L controlling a light signal 'S, which signal comprises three electric lampsdesignated'G, Y and R. The beams from these lamps are colored green, yellowand red re spectively, to indicate proceed, caution and stop respectively, as is well understood in the art of railway signaling. Lamp.

G isfconnect ed in a circuit whi h includescon'tact 9- 9, this circuit being from battery B through w1res25 and 26, contact finger 9, contact block 9", wire 27,1amp G and a common return. wire: 0, back to battery. Lampv Y is connected in a circuit which includescontact yy",. this-circuit beingfrom battery B through wire 25, contact finger 11 contactblock y, wire 28, lamp Y, wire '29, and common return wire '0 to battery. Lampi R is connected in a circuit which includes contact 1 -7, this circuit being from battery B through wires 25 and 30, contact finger 1', contact block 1', wire 31, lamp R, wire 32, and common return wire 0 back to. battery. I

It will be evident from this arrangement of circuits that when the vane is in the intermediate position lamp R is illuminated while lamps G and Y are extinguished, and

that when the vane occupies the lower position lamp Y is illuminated and lamp R is extinguished. Similarly, when the vane oca light signal in such manner as to prevent momentary illumination of the stop lamp when changing .the indication of. the signal from caution to proceed, or vice' versa.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of relay embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may 'be' made thereinwithin the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having thus. described my invention, what I claim is:

1'. A relay comprising an operating member movable in opposite directions from an intermediate position to two extreme positions, a contact biased to the closed position but opened by said operating member when the member moves in either direction'from said intermediat'e'position, and inertia con trolled means for preventingclosure of said contact when said operating member moves continuously from one extreme position to the other.

2. A. relay comprising an operatingmemher movable in opposite directions from an vice when the contact is moving in response to its biasbut-not when "the contact is being:

moved in op ositionto its bias by said op-t crating mem' 'fer, said rotatable device having suiiicien't inertia/to prevent'mo'vem-ent of said contact to the'posi'tion toward which it isbiased when said operating member moves continuously from one extreme position to the other. i I

3. A relay comprising a main shaft movable in opposite directions from anintermediate position to two extreme positions, a countershaft biased to turn in one direction, means interposed between said two shafts for turning the countershaft in opposition to its bias when themain shaft moves in either direction from its intermediate position, means for retarding the return of said c'ountjers'haft in response to its bias while the mam shaft is moving from one extremegposi'tion to the oth r, and a Contact controlled y said 'counters'haft. w

4. relay compri.

a main shaft movmedi'alte position to two extreme positions, a countershaft b ased to turnin one direction, means interposed between said two shafts for turning the countersha'ft in opposition to its bias when the main shaft moves in either direction from its intermediate positiomand for exerting a force on the main shaft'tending "to return it to the intermediateposition,

a is In opposite directions from an inter due to the bias of the countershaft, means for retarding the return of said conntershaft in response to its bias while the main shaft is moving from one extreme position to the other, and a contact controlled by said countershaft.

5. A relay comprising a main shaft n1ovable in opposite directions from an intermediate position to two extreme positions, two contacts one or the other which is closed according as said shaft occupies one extreme position or the other, a countershaft biased to turn in one direction, means interposed between said two shafts for turning the countershaft in opposition to its bias when the main shaft moves in either direction from its intermediate position, means for retarding the return of said countershaft in response to its bias, and acontact controlled by said conntershaft.

6. A relay comprising a main shaft movable in opposite directions from an intermediate position to two extreme positions, a countershaft biased to turn in one direction, means interposed between said two shafts for turning the countershaft in opposition to its bias when the main shaft moves in either direction from its intermediate position, means for retarding the return of said countershaft in response to its bias while the main shaft is moving from one extreme position to the other, and a contact controlled by said countershaft and closed only when said countershaft occupies the position toward which it is biased.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HAROLD S. LOOMIS.

Witnesses:

A. HERMAN WEGNER, E. P. CRUM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

